The "Whoever Brings It Up Handles It" Principle! (Please bookmark and vote with monthly tickets)

Chancellor Zhao Wenyuan was deeply calculating. It was not that he wanted to usurp the throne; he merely wanted to secure his position at court.

People who had climbed to this level-not just him, but Grand General Guo Poyun, the Empress Dowager, and even the other princes-had offended far too many people.

They all had their so-called factions behind them, as well as their closest relatives, and all these people were bound to them.

If they fell from power one day, their relatives and followers, and even the aristocratic clans they belonged to, would be uprooted by their enemies.

Being reduced to commoners would count as a good outcome. Usually, they would be exiled to the frontier or beheaded.

In the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty, official positions and cultivation resources alike existed in fixed quantities.

Only by driving out those who occupied them could others obtain those resources.

That was how everyone rushed to push over a falling wall.

When the Empress Dowager had first pushed to make Li Chen emperor, Zhao Wenyuan had supported her because Li Chen had no faction and would not promote his own subordinates after taking the throne.

That would have no effect on Zhao Wenyuan. He could even seize the opportunity to expand his own influence.

Of course, that had only been his thinking back then.

After learning that Li Chen was in the Saint Realm, Zhao Wenyuan wanted only to be a loyal minister!

He had no direct conflict with Li Chen.

To put it bluntly, even if Li Chen were not emperor, the throne would never fall to him.

Who did have a direct conflict with Li Chen?

Naturally, the Empress Dowager and the other princes.

The other princes went without saying. They had endured for so many years, holding their breath for a chance to become emperor. How could they simply give up?

Zhao Wenyuan felt that the Empress Dowager's ambitions were considerable as well. He still remembered what she had said yesterday; she had been sounding out the ministers.

Her aim was most likely to stand above the emperor, or to depose him when the time was ripe and become empress regnant herself.

Such things were hardly rare in the continent's history. Some neighboring dynasties were also ruled by empresses.

Throughout his years of sparring with the Empress Dowager, Zhao Wenyuan had been investigating her identity.

On the surface, the Empress Dowager was descended from a family of meritorious nobles.

In other words, her ancestors had followed the founding emperor of the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty and earned great merit on the battlefield.

If that were truly the case, her background could naturally be considered clean.

Despite playing the poor scholar before Li Chen, Zhao Wenyuan had his own circle of trusted subordinates. Otherwise, he would never have survived this long.

Ever since the Empress Dowager entered the Imperial Capital, he had been investigating her.

Although she concealed her tracks well, he had received word that her noble family had been in contact with remnants of the previous dynasty in recent years.

Only he knew about this. Without any evidence, he naturally could not tell the Previous Emperor.

Otherwise, if the Empress Dowager turned around and accused him instead, he would only be asking for trouble.

Zhao Wenyuan now wanted to be a loyal minister because he had discovered that Li Chen had no intention of moving against him.

Thus, he only needed to demonstrate his usefulness and loyalty to Li Chen, and his position as Chancellor would surely remain secure.

A young emperor with terrifyingly powerful strength and no faction of his own certainly offered more advantages than disadvantages to those serving as his ministers.

Zhao Wenyuan was even willing to become one of Li Chen's followers.

Likewise, Guo Poyun had figured this out too, though he might have botched his attempt.

Neither of them had any direct conflict with Li Chen in this Imperial Court. How could they possibly not support him?

Zhao Wenyuan had already "deduced" that Li Chen understood this too. That was why he had summoned them both to the Imperial Study yesterday: to see where they stood.

He actually knew about the Third Prince's rebellion as well, but by his reckoning, the Third Prince would most likely withdraw his troops after learning that Li Chen was in the Saint Realm.

If things developed that way, Li Chen could simply keep one eye open and the other shut. There was no need to make a great fuss.

After all, killing his own brother immediately after ascending the throne would not sound good if word spread.

But now, the Minister of War had shoved the Third Prince right in front of Li Chen, leaving him unable even to pretend he had not seen him.

Since he now knew, he had to deal with it. Failing to do so would damage imperial authority. If everyone saw the Third Prince rebel without consequences, there would be more than one rebel in the future.

If the Third Prince learned that Li Chen intended to punish him, he certainly would not take it lying down.

Was this not openly forcing Li Chen into a fight to the death with the Third Prince? It was a scheme laid bare.

Even Zhao Wenyuan, with his many years in office, did not know how to unravel it.

After hearing the Minister of War's report, Li Chen yawned and said, "Oh, since my third brother wants to rebel, go arrest him and bring him back."

Those words left the Minister of War utterly dumbfounded.

What do you mean, I should arrest him and bring him back? You make it sound easy, but Your Majesty, do you think I'm in the Saint Realm too?

Just as the Minister of War was about to explain, Zhao Wenyuan said gravely, "What? Do you intend to defy an imperial decree?"

Now the Minister of War truly panicked. That damned Zhao Wenyuan really knew how to slap an accusation on someone.

I brought up the problem, and now you're making me solve it?

Seeing the Minister of War's aggrieved expression, Zhao Wenyuan was inwardly ecstatic.

It seems our emperor does have some ability.

Originally, this had been a conflict between the emperor and the Third Prince. Once the Minister of War went, however, it would become a conflict between the Empress Dowager and the Third Prince.

If the Minister of War refused to go, they could simply pin a couple of charges on him and strip him of his official hat, weakening the Empress Dowager's faction.

Finding a solution to such an impossible situation left even Zhao Wenyuan somewhat impressed by Li Chen.

In truth, he was overthinking it. Li Chen had never taken the Third Prince seriously and did not know how to handle the matter either, so he simply followed the "whoever brings it up handles it" principle.

Since you brought it up, you must naturally have a way to solve it.

If you can't solve it, what use do I have for you? Keeping you around to cause me trouble?

Under the combined pressure of Li Chen and Zhao Wenyuan, the Minister of War could only say that he would go back and devise a solution. Once court adjourned, he would have his subordinates ask the Empress Dowager what to do.

Normally, a rebellion by the frontier army would have shaken the entire nation.

Yet the ministers could not bring themselves to panic.

They all wondered, Could this be the sense of security an emperor in the Saint Realm brings?

No wonder the Second Prince had said yesterday, while running his foul mouth, "But without powerful cultivation to support us, how can we safeguard our dynasty for a thousand autumns and ten thousand generations?"

It seemed he really had been right.

Only that person was not the Second Prince, but Li Chen.

Some even wanted to see how the Third Prince would extricate himself from this mess.

It was nearly noon before Li Chen finally got to adjourn the morning court session.

In the imperial palace, at the Empress Dowager's residence.

Barely had the morning court session ended when a palace maid under her command brought over the news, along with the message the Minister of War wanted conveyed to her.

The Empress Dowager stretched, and the fabric over her chest almost failed to contain it.

Just as it seemed about to burst free of its shackles, she lowered her arms, averting an accident.

"I am aware of the matter. Tell Zou Chong to leave the Imperial Capital in accordance with His Majesty's decree. Have him find time to provoke the third prince a little, but avoid any major conflict with him. While he is at it, have him check how the second prince's preparations are coming along."

After the palace maid left, a hint of amusement appeared on the Empress Dowager's face.

Your Majesty, it seems I really did underestimate you. I never expected you to surprise me two days in a row.

She was in no hurry at all. She had far too many trump cards, and every one of them was enough to give Li Chen a bitter cup to swallow.

But now, she would give Li Chen a little surprise and let him know who truly ruled this imperial palace!